Ministers Deny Endorsing Obama

The Associated Press reports that two black South Carolina ministers whom Barack Obama said had endorsed him say they never agreed to do so:

Two black South Carolina ministers listed by Barack Obama's campaign as endorsing his White House bid say they did no such thing, and at least two others affirmed their support only after being contacted by campaign workers when questions were raised about their endorsements.

Earlier this month, Obama's campaign released a list of what it said were nearly 130 senior pastors in South Carolina endorsing his run for the Democratic nomination. But when contacted by The Associated Press, several ministers said they have yet to decide who will get their vote and were unclear how they ended up on the Illinois senator's list.

"I really haven't decided to endorse him yet. I was thinking about it," said the Rev. Clifford Gaymon of Zion Hill Missionary Baptist Church in rural Clarendon County.

An Obama spokeswoman said the list was created after campaign organizers called ministers and asked to release their names publicly.

"We used all our resources to ensure we had the most accurate and up- to-date list, and we worked to check with everyone on the list," said South Carolina spokeswoman Amaya Smith. "It's a pretty long list of people."

But some ministers said their names were used without their permission. Gaymon, mistakenly listed as retired on the Obama list, said he's been to campaign events to find out more about the Illinois senator, but did not receive a phone call about making an endorsement.

The Rev. Michael Blue of Door of Hope Christian Church in Marion was added to the list without permission and has asked the Obama campaign to take his name off the list, said church spokesman Ronnie Green.

Inaccuracies and murky tallies are not unique to the Obama campaign when in comes to touting the endorsements of black ministers in this early voting state—rival Hillary Rodham Clinton ran into some of the same questions after her campaign released its list of endorsements from black ministers late last month.

God-o-Meter realizes that just two ministers out of a list of more than 100 are denying they endorsed Obama. But it makes GOM wonder what other oversights the Obama campaign is making in its zeal to pick up support from African American preachers. Such sloppiness can make the campaign look exploitative or cynical.